Car-seal



W. K. EDGAR.

CAR SEAL.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 15. I918.

Patented June 22, 1920.

WM M

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM KERR EDGAR, OF LAWRENCE, KANSAS, ASSIGNOR TO THE EDGAR STEEL SEAL & MFG. $0., 015 LAWRENCE, KANSAS.

CAR-SEAL.

Application filed April 15,

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, VILLIAM K. EDGAR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lawrence, in the county of Douglas and State of Kansas, have invented a new and useful Car-Seal, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to car seals and it is designed more especially as an improvement upon the seals disclosed in Patent 985,019 issued to me on Feb. 21st, 1911 and in Patents Nos. 1,064,462 and 1,064,463, issued to me on June 10th, 1913.

It is an object of the invention to provide a seal which can be more quickly applied than heretofore and which has means whereby the ends of the seal are doubly secured, it being impossible to open the seal without breaking off the number end or separating the seal at some intermediate point.

Another object is to provide a seal the outer strata of which will crack when the device is bent to sealing position, thus to insure severance of the seal when an effort is made to open it.

A further object is to' provide a seal in which no strain whatever is exerted upon the bend or breaking point of the number end, while the seal is in service, thus obviating all danger of the seal opening accidentally.

A further object is to provide a car seal which will hold itself in proper position during the sealing operation and which does not need to be held with its interfitting portions in engagement while the other hand is used in bending the number or looking portion into position.

With the foregoing and other objects in View which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details of construction andvcombinations of parts which will be hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims, it being understood that various changes may be made in the construction and operation of the parts within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawing the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawing- Figure 1 is a detail view of the seal prior to being bent.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 22, 1920.

1918. Serial No. 228,655.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the device bent to sealing position.

Fig. 3 is a View partly in plan and partly in section of the interfitting, locked portions of the seal.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference, 1 designates a strip of metal weakened at intermediate points by forming holes 2 therein or by notching, thus to provide an intermediate sealing portion 3 and end sealing portions 4 and 5. A locking end 6 projects from one end of the portion 5, there being a transverse slot 7 at the bending point between the portions 5 and 6. lVhen the metal strip is initially bent at the weakened points 2 and 7 the outer strata of the strip will crack as shown at 2, this being advantageous for the reasons hereinafter set forth. Short longitudinal slots 8 extend from the slot 7 and into the portion 5, forming a lug 9 therebetween. A trans-- verse slot 10 is formed in the locking end 6 close to and parallel with the slot 7 and, as shown in Fig. 1, the identifying number of the seal is stamped on the end portion 6.

The free end of the portion 4 of the seal is provided with a T-shaped head 11 the stem of which is broad enough to contain an opening, 12. The width of this opening is slightly greater than the width of the lug 9 and the head 11 is so shaped and proportioned as to be insertible into the slot 7 and slidable into the slots 8 so that the lug 9 will thus enter the aperture 12.

In using the seal the strip 1 is inserted through the hasp or other device to be sealed and bent at the prearranged points 2, into a triangular form. Head 11 is then inserted into slot 7 and pushed onto lug 9. The parts will thus be interlocked and so remain while the locking end 6 is bent back at the point weakened by the slot 7. This will cause the end of the head 11 to be received within the slot 10 so that said head will be locked down in the closed end portions of the slots 8 where it cannot be withdrawn from the lug 9. Owing to the peculiar nature of the material constituting the strip, when the strip is thus bent at the prearranged points 2 and 7, the outer strata of the strip will be cracked transversely of the strip and the portions will occupy the relative positions shown in Fig. 2. Head 11 cannot he slipped off of the lug 9 unless the locking end 6 is bent back away from the position shown in Fig.2, and said portion cannot thus beat a prearranged point said strip being of a composition adapted to crack the outer strata of the strip along the outer surface of an angle therein during the first bend of the strip While producing said angle.

2. A car seal formed of a strip bendable at a prearranged point, said strip being of a composition adapted to crack the outer strata of the strip along the, outer surface of an angle therein during the first bend of the strip While producing said angle, said strip having interfitting portions and a locking portion movable to active position by bending the strip to crack the outer strata of the same.

3. A car seal formed of a strip having an intermediate opening, a lug Within the opening, an apertured head at one end of the strip insertibl'e into the opening and slidthe lug and to crack the outer strata of the strip at said bend.

4. A car seal formed of a strip having an intermediate opening, a lug Within said opening, a head at one end of the stripwand insertible into said opening, an aperture in the head, said head being slidable Within the opening to position the lug Within the aperture, and a number portion at one end of the strip and having a slot, said number portion being bendable to crack the outer strata of the strip at said bend and to position the head Within the slot and lock the head upon the lug. v

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature in thepresenee of two witnesses.

WVILLIAM KERR EDGAR.

Witnesses:

Gno. B. EDGAR, C. C. EDGAR. 

